Featured Image Source: @ErcXspace via Twitter

SpaceX started to accept pre-orders of its ‘Better Than Nothing Beta’ Starlink internet service on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis though its Starlink.com website early February. SpaceX says it already has over half-a-million customers who pre-ordered the service. The company e-mailed potential customers in Europe who signed up to receive alerts on service availability. “Starlink is now available in limited supply in Belgium!” SpaceX announced in the e-mail this week. 

The western Europe country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, and France to the southwest – locations that already have coverage from the Starlink satellite broadband network. “Users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s [megabits per second] over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all. As we launch more satellites, install more ground stations and improve our networking software, data speed, latency and uptime will improve dramatically,” the company wrote in the e-mail. “To check availability for your location, visit Starlink.com and re-enter your service address. If Starlink is not yet available in your area, you can place a deposit to hold your space in line for future service,” they wrote.

SpaceX already operates the world’s largest broadband constellation. To date, the company has launched approximately 1,677 satellites to orbit atop previously-flown Falcon 9 rockets. Overall, phase one of the constellation will consist of deploying 4,408 satellites operating in low altitudes around our planet. Satellites in low earth orbit enables broadband connection with very low latency and high-speed. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said in February that Starlink’s internet speed will “double to ~300Mb/s & latency will drop to ~20ms [milliseconds] later this year.” Regarding service pricing, Musk said it is the same cost globally. The Starlink Kit that includes phased-array antenna dish, Wi-Fi router, and mounting/power equipment costs $499 USD. The monthly internet service fee is $99 USD. SpaceX targets to achieve near-global internet coverage this year. The company also targets to enable service mobility for its customers before 2021 ends.

Featured Image Source: @ErcXspace via Twitter